Our Agreement
by ADecadentAddiction
Summary: Flynn Scifo, President of the student council and top student in his grade at Zaphias Academy never expected that he would associate with his childhood friend, the problem student Yuri Lowell after 3 years or that they would be sharing a dorm together this year. How will things turn out from here on now that the Lone Wolf and Zaphias's Knight finally come to heads?
1. New Roommate

**A/N: **This is my first fanfic and I decided that since I've gotten Tales of Vesperia and am also a proud yaoi fan girl why shouldn't I pair Flynn x Yuri? I'm new to the game but I chose to take a chance on this.

**Summary: **Flynn Scifo, President of the student council and top student in his grade at Zaphias Academy never expected that he would associate with his childhood friend, the problem student Yuri Lowell after 3 year…. Or that they would be sharing a dorm together this year. How will things turn out from here on now that the Lone Wolf and Zaphias's Knight finally come to heads?

**Disclaimer:** I do not in any way own Tales of Vesperia or any of the characters in the game. If I did Fluri and Ristelle would most likely be canon.

* * *

**Flynn's P.O.V**

When I was younger, day in and day out following in the footsteps of the person whom I admired above all else was my all-consuming desire. I trained every day, and yet being better than fighting than the one I admired never satisfied me. I never hesitated to come to the aid of those in need and yet the one I admired was always one step ahead of me. Through the painful times when I cried to myself this person was always my only warmth, someone who I would always be able to trust and confide in. It might have been that in my childish mind I saw in this person all the qualities which I lacked or maybe something even deeper that cannot merely be expressed in words. Nonetheless my gaze would always fell on him, secretly looking up to and chasing in his footsteps, always wanting to prove myself to him.

Time went on and as I grew out of my blind devotion I noticed the flaws in the one person I admired the most. In truth, he was not a perfect idol nor was he the epitome of justice and good. For the first time I remembered feeling a sense of shame upon realizing this because up until then I had been truly ignorant. The person I once admired became the one who clashed with my ideals of right and wrong more and more until finally I couldn't stand it. The dream which I had experienced as a child was only a fleeting desire that caused my heart to ache. Self-loathing mixed with denial as I tried to justify my past admiration to no avail for now I saw the true reality which lay before me. It seemed as though in an instant my world had come crashing down upon me. I doubt that I was ever the same again.

As we grew older, we inevitably grew apart, though I cannot be asked why. All my irritation, my disappointment, my anxiety, and my yearning mixed together at the sight of this person and yet as he slowly began to disappear from my life entirely so did these things in time and I suppose that I accepted this fact easily. Still, as I hold onto the ideals that I held sense I was a child, feeling the need to become strong and protect those in need, I remember him. I remember the person who believed that everyone should be protected. After all, doing the best that we could to make things just a little bit better had been our unspoken agreement.

* * *

"Goddammit! That Yuri Lowell Is at it again!" I heard someone yell angrily from outside in the halls, immediately knowing it to Leblanc, the history teacher.

As I heard this, I was in the student council room, discussing the best way to maintain the dress code with this other the loud outburst though most burst into fits of laughter. My vice president Sodia was the only one who seemed truly irritated by the unwanted disruption, evident by how her hands clenched and her face became a bright shade of red. All except Sodia and me exited the student council room to see the problem for themselves. No sooner than the door was opened did none other than Leblanc himself appear, out of breath and soaked in sweat with his blood shot eyes fixated on all of us collectively.

"Have any of you seen that troublemaker Lowell?" he asked in his irritation, wiping his forehead with the back of his right hand, "That brat started another riot and class and then just fled the room before I could get my hands on him and ring his little neck!"

"Ah, that makes sense. A good place to look for him would be the rooftop then Leblanc-sensei. I hear he tends to hide out there," I replied calmly, when none of the others apparently had seen the teen with long, jet black hair.

The older man regarded me in thanks and left in the moment to pursue Yuri. The student council, disappointed by how quickly the uproar had ended, returned to their original dispositions. Estellise Heurassein, the secretary proceeded to ask how exactly I knew where Yuri Lowell would be. I scratched the back of my head nervously and returned that it was merely a deduction since I had heard that he liked high places. She would have asked how I knew that if not for her cousin Ioder, who also was the treasurer, intervening by nonchalantly was telling her to "leave it alone". Sodia's eyes flickered between me and Estelle but she didn't comment on it either as she turned the topic back to the dress code that we had been previously discussing, something which I was thankful for.

The rest of meeting was smooth and Estellise recorded our activities and discussions as usual as we prepared to call it a day. Sodia stood closely by my side, her hand brushing against my own slightly. Ioder suggested that we should head out and all grab a bite to eat and with some persuasion on his part everyone agreed. We wound up going to a place not far from the school campus called "The Quarter". It was dimly lit and had an adult air to it, which made me mistake it for a bar or club and almost walk out. I was stopped by Sodia, who quickly assured me by saying it was only a diner that was popular with students. Estellise grabbed my hand and guided me over along with Sodia and Ioder to an open booth. We all took a seat, Ioder and Estellise together on one side while Sodia and I occupied the other.

"It's so nice to go places together isn't it President Flynn. It's just like we're a group of friends all hanging out together!" Estellise exclaimed happily while Ioder nodded in agreement.

"I don't see why we should make a fuss. It's perfectly normal to go out and get a bite to eat after an important meaning. It's nothing to get excited over just because we all came to a restaurant together. Don't you agree President Flynn?" Sodia responded indifferently, turning to look at me upon her last words.

"Well actually I have to admit that I am quite enjoying the fact that we decided to stop somewhere to eat. We shouldn't have to keep up appearances here when we can just hang out like regular classmates and have a good meal right?" I remarked honestly, feeling it my responsibility to offset any tension, "There's nothing wrong with having a good time Sodia."

At my words, Estellise smiled contently while Sodia silently fumed. I laughed awkwardly before a waitress came to take our order and passed out a glass of water to each of us. She was a fair skinned, small woman with a notepad in one hand and a pen in the other while smiling softly at us. Her uniform I had to admit consisted of a rather short maid outfit and open chest area that revealed her large breasts. Sodia nudged me at some point, causing me to realize that I had been staring blankly at the woman without ordering. I coughed and turned away and turned away in embarrassment as I told the lady what I wanted. With this the woman walked away until she disappeared from sight. I looked up to see Ioder eyeing me knowingly, which caused me to feel some momentary guilt. I picked up my glass of water and took a sip from it.

He cleared his throat in the next moment and boldly asked, "Does Flynn-sempai by any chance have a girlfriend?"

I sputtered in that instant in surprise and started to choke. Ioder and Estellise both started to speak out in concern but were stopped by the sight of Sodia's glare. Sodia quickly patted me firmly on the back until I recovered. Sodia berated Ioder while Estellise giggled. I thanked the stern vice president warmly before shaking my head at Ioder and murmuring a barely audible "no". He responded in mild shock and then made a comment about how I should always try to make room for my social life as well as student council duties. I nodded slowly, wishing to move on from the subject quickly.

It was not long before the waitress returned with our orders and we ate while discussing school events and rumors that had been floating around lately. Estellise mentioned a lower classman that she met the other day with whom she had quickly become friends with. According to her, the person she met was quite smart albeit a little short tempered at times, though to the pink haired secretary that made her all the cuter. Her cousin, Ioder talked about the how the teachers always seemed to be quietly feuding amongst each other and that once when he went to the teacher's office to pick up some papers, Oltorain-sensei, who taught history, and Dinoia-sensei, who taught economics, had been glaring at each other with a murderous intent in their eyes. All of us laughed at the thought of the two of them actually fighting however because we all knew that Dinoia-sensei was someone not to mess with.

Sodia then moved onto a completely new topic that caught all of our attention. With great disdain, she mentioned Yuri Lowell and his recent antics around the school. It was things such as ditching periods to fight other students or arguing with teachers in front of the whole class. She said there had been a rumor he had even been suspended once for a stunt that he had pulled at school. Estellise and Ioder both listened intently while I continued to eat, partially blocking out what she was saying.

"I think he sounds very mysterious. Maybe there's a reason why he always ends up in trouble you know?" Estellise stated positively after Sodia had stopped speaking.

"Well Estelle…," Ioder replied afterward, "I don't think it could be a reason that would be worth it to go to the lengths of almost getting expelled. He might just be one of those delinquents who want to get noticed."

Sodia crossed her arms and input, "Ha! People like Yuri Lowell aren't even worthy of going to Zaphias and yet there always needs to be at least one bad egg in the dozen it seems. I don't really care what he does as long as it doesn't affect the peace in our school."

"Yuri isn't really the type to keep up appearances in my opinion. He's too outspoken and tends to make rash decisions if he feels it will get the job done," I added to the conversation, causing everyone to stare at me quizzically.

I sighed and looked at the watch on my left hand which currently read 8:50. It was then that I remembered that the dorm changes were today and mentally slapped myself, realizing that while my room had not changed I was expecting a new roommate today and had made it a priority to greet them amiably when they arrived though it seemed as if I would be the last one to get to my dorm now. Sodia noticed my troubled expression of course and questioned me about it. I dodged by merely alluding to the fact that I had business at my dorm today and she appeared satisfied by my response fortunately. I grabbed Ioder by the arm and led him out the door with little delay, since we lived in the same dorm. The two of us rushed out of the diner with our bags in hand after waving goodbye to Estellise and Sodia who were left sitting at the table. Once we were outside however, Ioder started to protest my grip and I had to release him.

"Why are we in a hurry again Flynn-senpai?" Ioder asked halfway to the dorm as we rounded a street corner as cars sped by literally inches away from where we stood.

"Dorm changes are supposed to happen today and I'd rather be as early as possible." I answered quickly, nearly out of breath, "besides from looking at the roster I know that you were also due for a reassignment."

"Ah, that's true but you see I made sure to arrange it with my new roommate, yours, and the occupants of the dorm to move our stuff last night so as to save time." Ioder said in return, causing me to stare at him for being able to be so organized and well prepared while at the same time berating myself for not thinking of the same.

Ioder followed by saying that as the Student Body President of course I had more pressing concerns and that he admired me for being so hardworking. Somehow at the moment the words weren't that important to me however. We reached the dorms just as my watch read 4:00. I stopped to take a few breaths before entering the building and parting ways with Ioder as we headed towards our respective rooms. I traveled down the hall and ascended the rather steep stairs that lead to the second floor. I passed a few others on the way and we greeted and waved at each other in passing. At some point I stopped at my own dorm, the one which read "719". I pulled my keys out of the outer pocket of my blue uniform blazer and unlocked the door before opening it slowly. What I saw was the last thing I expected to see.

"Oh, it's you Flynn. Ah so the two of us our roomies now? Then I suppose I should be saying 'Tadaima' right now then huh?" greeted a half-naked Yuri Lowell, with a grinning from ear to ear as he stood just feet away from me.

He had a towel loosely wrapped around his lower half with his jet black waist long hair dripping water. His stuff was by the bed closest to the door and already said bed was in a state of disarray. Sheets were hanging off the bed and the pillow was on the floor on at the other side of the room. I rubbed my temples once I recovered from the initial surprise only to realize that he was a not the neatest person I had ever met. After a few seconds he was still grinning at me and out of obligation I replied to his earlier statement with a very bland "Okaeri".

"It has been a while I suppose…Yuri….," I spoke softly, closing the door behind me and walking over to sit on my own bed that lay against the wall, "I hear you made a scene earlier."

His smirk faded almost instantly and was replaced by a frown. Not bothering to reply to me. I watched him walk over to his bed and swing his suit case onto it. He unzipped the contents and started rummaging through it until he had pulled out a pair of plain white boxers and a black t-shirt with a logo that read "Abyssion" with a sword through the letters. He dropped his towel and I averted my eyes without delay. Seconds later I saw him pulling the shirt down and throw his suitcase to the side before passing out onto the bed. He looked over in my direction and regarded my silently, his obsidian eyes locked on my cerulean ones.

"So….," he began bluntly, the tone in his voice more playful than anything, "Did you get any yet or are you still a cherry boy Flynn-chan?"

"Flynn-chan! Certainly you haven't forgotten how to use your honorifics properly Yuri? And am I supposed to know what you mean by that?"

Yuri laughed, gripping his sides as he rolled in bed, "Of course Flynn-chan and besides I was just asking if you've ever been laid."

My face turned beet red as he said this and I stuttered an angry, both telling him that it was none of his business and that I would prefer it if he didn't call me "Flynn-chan". Yuri chuckled, but agreed easily enough and commented on how it was "kinda obvious", much to my chagrin. Yuri smiled brightly while looking over in my direction as if he was a small boy and not seventeen years old. I wasn't surprised though because this was the Yuri Lowell who was the nightmare of the teachers and students alike at Zaphias. He was known to skip classes to go play around and for fighting on a whim. I suddenly sighed to myself.

"Hm, is something the matter Flynn?" Yuri noticed and asked, although I couldn't call his tone of voice quite concerned.

I ignored his question, instead silently turning around and walking back out the door without so much as a word to him. I closed it roughly behind me and slid my body down to the ground, blocking the entrance. Thankfully the hallway was empty at this time as the other students had already gone back to their respective rooms. At the moment, I am sure that even if there were others in the hall that would not have mattered. I tangled my fingers through my own hair as I stared at the ground in utter disbelief. I closed my eyes and took a long deep breath, trying to keep my cool. There was no way that this could be happening to me. I was sure that I must have been dreaming from the instant that I had opened that door and saw him.

* * *

Well this was the first chapter sorry for those who think that it is a little on the short side. Constructive criticism is much appreciated. I plan to update this soon also since it's summer time and I have all the time in the world. I might include other characters from the Tales Of series that I am familiar with also later on but I haven't decided yet. Also, for those who were unaware, Dinoia and Oltorain are the last names of Alexei and Schwann respectively (I had to look them up myself so it might not have been obvious). I also chose to make use of some common Japanese honorifics.


	2. Discovery

**A/N:** Here comes the 2nd chapter of Our Agreement and with this you get to see more of Yuri being… well Yuri. The feelings I have while playing him in the game can only be described as awesome. That said I was a huge fan of his personality and was a bit frustrated by Flynn's strict moral code. This chapter will also be in Flynn's point of view although I do plan to do Yuri's probably in the next chapter.

**Summary:** Flynn Scifo, President of the student council and top student in his grade at Zaphias Academy never expected that he would associate with his childhood friend, the problem student Yuri Lowell after 3 year…. Or that they would be sharing a dorm together this year. How will things turn out from here on now that the Lone Wolf and Zaphias's Knight finally come to heads?

**Disclaimer:** I do not in any way own Tales of Vesperia or any of the characters in the game. If I did Fluri and Ristelle would most likely be canon.

* * *

**Flynn's P.O.V**

"_Yuri!" I called out, an underlying hint of exasperation and irritation evident in my voice, "Damn it! Yuri! Why won't you even look at me?"_

_I was covered in a multitude of bruises on my arms, legs, even my face that were slowly turning a light purple color as I sat on the ground, barely able to move. I was gasping for air both from the stinging pain all over my body and from calling out to my best friend who seemed content to ignore me. My blonde hair was wet and caked with dirt, which caused it to stick to my forehead and gave me a gross, muggy feeling. My clothes were torn in places and stained with mud, adding to the fact that they had always been in a state of unraveling. I was supported by a giant willow that loomed over me and provided shade from the blaring sun. Just a few feet away from me I could see my friend Yuri standing with clenched fists, his long black hair which fell to his shoulders in a ponytail._

"_No Flynn I… I just can't. Not until those bastards pay for what they did to you," He replied, his small body shaking in rage_

_I stared at the back of my longtime friend and said calmly, "I don't want you to try and fight them though Yuri because then we'd be no better than them. It won't end if no one ever has the courage to back down…"_

"_I don't understand. Why is it us who always has to back down? We take it and take it over and over and it never ends and yet we always just accept it. I hate it!" the slim preteen protested furiously, his emotions getting the better of him._

"_It's enough if we're the ones to change, if we're the ones to stand up and say that this isn't the way. That's what I believe Yuri. After all, it was the two of us who said that we wanted to strive for justice no matter what but there's no justice in revenge."_

_I continued to direct my eyes fixedly at his back after speaking, hoping that he would turn and face me. Instead, the next thing that Yuri did was murmur something that I couldn't quite catch as I watched his body relax and him breathe out slowly. I thought that he had understood my words and felt pleased with myself, despite the constant stabbing pain soaring up my sides and coursing through my body. However, instead of turning to face me my friend broke out into a run in the opposite direction. Confused, I called out to him, shocked by his quickly disappearing view, but to no avail._

* * *

My eyes darted open as I jolted myself awake and into a sitting position in the next moment. I was once again lying haphazardly on my side in the comfort of my bed in my room. I groaned under my breath, soon dismissing the oddly realistic dream, and relaxed once again into the firm mattress. That was when I noticed something prickly brush against the back of my neck and the distinct feel of something hard and warm pressing against my back. I turned my head to the side at that moment to see none other than Yuri sleeping peacefully beside me in my bed. For a moment I laid there and watched him, his chest rising and falling in steady intervals before it finally hit me that he was laying right next to me. In the next instant I was retracting from the sleeping teen with a loud, high pitched yell as I did so.

Yuri moved slightly in his sleep, mumbling a curse as he grabbed the pillow and covered his head with it before turning over onto his other side and drifting back to sleep. After seeing him do this, I calmed down and stood up from the bed slowly. I grabbed the sheets that still covered him and with one yank ripped them effortlessly off and threw them on the ground. Almost immediately, Yuri sat up, groaning audibly and rubbing his eyes. He reached a hand under his shirt to scratch his chest and then looked at me with a drowsy, nearly irritated expression.

"Did you have to take the covers Flynn? If you hadn't noticed I was kinda using them," Yuri complained before yawning and falling back into the bed.

"I think that should be pretty obvious. Yuri, may I ask why you're in my bed instead of your own?" I replied dryly, eyeing my still tired roommate suspiciously.

Yuri sighed and an answered matter of factly without delay, "I was the one who had to drag your ass back into our room after you conveniently fell asleep right outside the door you know. I didn't even have the energy to crawl back to my own bed after carrying you back to yours. You might wanna try losing some weight."

"Your bed is only two feet away from mine and yet you're telling me you couldn't bring yourself to go there instead?" I snapped back disbelievingly, growing slightly agitated, "Stay in your bed and I'll stay in mine Yuri. Agreed?"

Yuri stared at me coldly before standing up on the opposite side of the bed and giving a sarcastic response, "Yes Flynn-chan. I promise I won't do it ever again. I'll be a good boy."

With that said he wandered over to the bathroom and slammed the door behind him. I rolled my eyes at his immature behavior. Seconds later, I heard the sound of running water and presumed that he had gone to take a shower. I scratched the back of my head. I woke up still in my school uniform, though it was now wrinkled and clung to my skin in some places. I sighed and berated myself before looking around the room. Somehow it was completely different than just last week. My old roommate from my junior year had been a senior who always kept his side of the room looking like a total disaster. When he had moved out half of the room became strangely clean and immaculate. I was surprised at the sudden change at first but had quickly gotten used to it. Now Yuri was here and though certainly not as messy as his predecessor, the area had once again returned to be disorganized and decorated with clothes and other items strewn across the floor.

I walked other to the other side of the room, bending over to pick up a discarded uniform shirt and threw it into the corner, attempting to at least make it a little more presentable. I repeated this with several other articles of clothing that I found until finally I found myself on the other side of the bed across from the wall. A pair of black, denim pants peeked out from underneath the bed. Slightly annoyed now at how fast the mess had spread, I got on my knees and yanked the garments out into the open. As I did so, something fell out of the back pocket and fell to the ground with a loud thunk. Throwing the pants to the same area where all the other clothes now were, I looked down to what had fallen out. It was a small black pocket knife.

At first, I couldn't believe what I was seeing. Gingerly, I picked up the object from its place on the floor and ran my fingers across it. The exterior was cold and smooth to the touch, telling me that it was indeed metallic. I flicked it open experimentally and to my shock, the blade itself was also pure black. I turned the small blade over in my hand, eyes wide with disbelief. I gulped hard. Why did Yuri of all people have a pocket knife in his possession? Did it have something to do with his open delinquency at school? Had he used it against anyone before? These thoughts filled my head suddenly.

"You know it isn't nice to snoop through others' belongings Flynn-chan," Yuri's voice called out from behind me and added, "Especially when they're in the shower."

There was a long, almost painful silence before I gripped the knife in my hand and slowly came to my feet. I turned around to stare at my roommate as if his words were a foreign language which I could not possibly understand. He was leaning against the doorway to the bathroom, naked except for a towel that he had wrapped around his waist with his long black hair resting on one shoulder and still dripping water. The look on his face was quite smug, as if he had done nothing wrong. I felt my anger boiling. I walked toward him until we were only an arm's length away and held the knife up so that he averted his gaze from mine and to the knife being resting his eyes once again on me.

With a cold calmness I finally responded, "Knives and other weapons are not allowed on school grounds nor are we allowed to have them in the dormitories Yuri. Please kindly explain to me how you have the nerve to waltz around with _this _in your goddamn pocket."

"I think it would be pretty obvious. I have it because no one has seen it yet and taken it from me. I can't be like you who follows every single rule like a good little boy you know. Besides, it's special to me," Yuri explained nonchalantly, reaching the palm of his hand out as if expecting me to give the knife back to him.

"Well it's been seen now and I'm confiscating it. I'm the Student Council President so of course it's my job to enforce the school policies. I don't really care what you need it for but rules are rules and they aren't meant to be broken," I said, my gaze becoming sharper.

For a moment, Yuri looked as if he was about to say something back, but stopped and simply huffed under his breath in mild annoyance. He moved out from the doorway and walked past me without another word being spoken. I could hear him rummaging through his suitcase in the next moment and stared down at the knife in my hand once again. He had not even been here a full day and yet I had already found him with this. I was becoming more worried about having him as a roommate. For a split second I turned my head to catch him staring at me and then avert his eyes. I had no doubt in my mind that he hadn't given up on getting his knife back because I knew Yuri well. He never gave up without a fight. His stubborn yet impassive nature was a trademark of his. Yes, I was becoming extremely worried now.

* * *

"That Yuri Lowell did what!" Sodia exclaimed loudly, which made the other council members scatter to quiet her before anyone else besides us heard our conversation.

Sodia, Estellise, and Ioder were currently sitting at a table with my in the lunch room. Morning classes had just ended so I confessed about how I found out yesterday that Yuri had become my roommate and the incident where I fell asleep outside. Sodia appeared the most affected by this news, her expressions quickly changing from astonishment, to worry, to anger. Estellise on the other hand congratulated me with her usual cheerfulness and started to ask me what Yuri Lowell was like in person. She seemed very optimistic in fact whenever it regarded talk of him. Ioder was mostly silent however and just nodded every once in a while. From time to time, other students would stare at us due to Sodia's outbursts and to prevent any unwanted attention, we would all attempt to calm her down.

I had decided not to tell them about how I found out that Yuri had a knife this morning, feeling that it would only add to the chaos and if Sodia's reactions were any hint, then I felt that I was completely justified. After all, what was the best way to tell others that your new roommate had been carrying a weapon along all this time and had probably used it for God knows what purposes? Still, it had been bothering since I reached the Academy this morning and I could not get the discovery off my mind no matter how hard I tried to push the thought away. Yuri and I had left the dorms separately without speaking. There was no way I was going to give it back to him anytime soon so I had hidden it under my mattress when he wasn't looking. I thought this way that he might not find it too soon and also prevented me from being forced to carry it around with me.

Ioder cleared his throat and asked, "So what are you going to do about this? If it becomes too much of a problem, you can asked to be reassigned and you won't have to live with him. I know you're a cool, level headed person but calling it quits sooner than later might be for the better."

"Well I certainly could go to the office and say that I have a problem with the assignment but I haven't even given the idea a chance yet to be honest with you and it's only the day after reassignment took place. It would be odd to apply for another reassignment right away wouldn't it?" I told him quizzically, my words almost seeming to contradict how I felt the instant I found out that Yuri was going to be my roommate.

"Hmph! There's no such thing as too early in my opinion I agree with Ioder on this one President Flynn," Sodia intervened, supporting Ioder's earlier advice to my chagrin.

"Well actually Flynn is right. It's not fair to give up without even giving it a chance. I'm sure Yuri Lowell is a very flexible person and so the President should be too," Estellise chimed in and continued hopefully, "Besides if he really is a troublemaker then the President can keep an eye on him now right?"

Ioder and I both nodded in agreement simultaneously while Sodia grumbled miserably. Although truthfully I had some doubts about what Estellise said, I didn't want to give into Yuri and show him that I couldn't handle being around him. Maybe I could even keep him in line. I wasn't sure how to deal with him right now but I did know one thing. I was going to be stuck with him until the very end of the year.

Not surprisingly, Estellise started to ask me a multitude of questions about my new roommate. With her bubbly demeanor intact, she pestered me on everything from how he looked and acted to what his grades were and who he hangs out with. I did my best to answer her questions, once shifting my eyes to see Sodia's somewhat annoyed expression. Some things that the enigmatic secretary asked I couldn't even answer however. At some point, Ioder also joined his cousin and started throwing questions at me to answer. It was after about fifteen minutes of this that the bell finally rang and lunch ended.

"I guess we have to go to our next class now," Estellise commented as well all got up from the lunch table, sighing discontently before moving on, "I really wanted to hear more about Yuri too. He sounds so interesting Flynn."

I looked at her quizzically before asking in reply, "Well I am sure he would be glad to know that he has a fan but I'm curious to know why you are so interested in hearing about Yuri Lowell all of a sudden."

"She probably has some kind of crush on him. I never knew that Estellise was into those types of guys though," Sodia answered teasingly, nudging the pink haired girl in the side playfully.

Estellise blushed a bright red and held her head down to avoid my gaze. I could see her hands go to clutch the hem of her skirt. Sodia snickered and Ioder looked at his flustered cousin. I found myself sighing once again. Not wanting to be late to class however, I gathered myself, breaking the awkward silence when I told them that I would be heading to class there. Estellise quickly raised her head and stuttered a farewell as I turned around and made my way out of the cafeteria.

As soon as I was in view of the cafeteria doorway, I stopped in my tracks and tensed a little if only for a moment. Yuri was standing there looking around for someone, seeming to not notice me yet. When I walked closer however his eyes shifted toward me and Yuri began to call out to me and wave his hands. At first, I ignored him and kept on walking until eventually I reached where he stood. He was still trying to get my attention, causing an obvious stir in the cafeteria. I was about to pass him and walk out, but he grabbed my arm roughly to stop me.

"Earth to Captain Flynn! Why are you trying to ignore me?" he questioned playfully, despite his ever tightening hold on me, though I could tell that he had grown just slightly annoyed.

I furrowed my brow and returned in a low voice, "Was there something you wanted? I'm on my way to my next class. You know, the one you skip every day and no one seems to even care enough anymore to drag you to your seat."

"Ah you mean Ole Raven's class? I could sleep through it and still pass you know. It's not like History requires a lot of brain power Flynn. At least I make it to math class most of the time right?" Yuri stated immaturely, making me want to admonish him for his lack of effort.

I broke free from his hold and walked out into the hallway as he was finishing the sentence. I could hear his footsteps behind me within seconds. It was then that Yuri began to ramble about needing to talk with me. I tried to brush him off, but even in the hallway he was quickly drawing attention to himself. I sped up my pace a little as I turned the corner to try and lose him only to hear his own footsteps become faster and more audible. Giving up, I stopped suddenly when I saw the men's bathroom door, causing Yuri to bump into me slightly from behind.

"Bathroom. Now." I said in short, commanding spurts, swinging open the door and bidding Yuri to follow while looking around to make sure no one saw us.

I closed it behind me while Yuri went to sit on the sink countertops. He was kicking his feet with a cheerful disposition. I sent him a serious look, but remained silent and crossed my arms. I didn't know what he had to talk to me about but if it was about the incident this morning I wouldn't be surprised. However, instead of bringing that up the first words out of Yuri's mouth made my eyes widen in surprise.

"I was thinking lately that you're just like you were when we were kids Flynn. You're a hard ass who's a stickler for the rules and upholding justice," Yuri began and then continued, "but then I realized that you've also become obsessed with keeping up appearances."

"I would hardly say that not roaming around the halls getting into constant trouble makes me obsessed with the way people see me," I replied stoically, not fully understanding just what the teen with long jet black hair meant by that remark.

Yuri groaned almost angrily before snapping back, "That's not what I'm talking about Flynn and you know it. I mean that you act as though you're ashamed to even associate with anyone that doesn't share your point of view or that's willing to bend to your every word."

"You can't be serious with this Yuri. Don't tell me," I lashed out at his childish words, "that you're mad because I'm not putting up with your messed up sense of morals or what's the logical thing to do. We're seventeen now, not ten."

The bathroom fell silent for a moment as we both stared at each other, neither one of us willing to back down or take back our words. Yuri slid off of the countertop and proceeded to stretch his arms in the air. I let my arms fall to their sides and heaved a frustrated sigh. Was he really going to engage in an argument with me over this? Yuri said that I hadn't changed and I guess he hadn't either. He was still as stubborn and blunt as when we were younger. Minutes passed and still Yuri and I didn't say anything. When I realized that our silent stalemate would continue unless one of us broke the silence I was the first to open my mouth.

"Look at us, fighting just like we did back then. It kind of reminds me of the time Nylen scolded us fighting each other over that…." I started but then paused before the words could escape my lips, something suddenly dawning on me mid-sentence.

When Yuri and I had been about nine years old we decided to do random jobs around Zaphias to raise money for something we wanted to buy. Both of us were poor orphans who lived in a shelter in the slums so to us gald had always been a rare luxury. I did things such as delivering items to houses around town while Yuri had done odd jobs like getting cats out of trees or collecting things needed by customers on the outskirts of town. Both of us were beaming with pride when we had finally raised enough money and raced each other to the store to go buy something. After half an hour of we finally chose something we could both agree on and it had been….

"No it couldn't be that. It was stolen before I came to the Academy….," I murmured to myself as Yuri cocked his head and gave me a puzzled look.

"No one said you could have a walk down memory lane without me Flynn-chan now did they?" Yuri smirked as he teased, his playful mood once again returning.

I rolled my eyes at the other teen and nonchalantly shot back, "And just who said I was having a walk down memory lane?"

I was taken back when Yuri grinned from ear to ear. He walked forward without hesitation as I responded by backing up. Before I knew it I was completely backed into the door behind me with Yuri still edging closer. When I asked what he was doing he remained eerily silent despite stilling grinning. With a quick motion he slammed his hands against the door only inches away from my head. Suddenly his grin seemed slightly more sinister.

With the door pressed hard against my back and Yuri inches away, his hands pressed against the wall on each side of me, all I could do was glower at him. He smirked knowingly, relishing in his perceived control over me. His smirk soon faded into a faint smile however as he continued to stare into my eyes silently. Neither of us made a sound and in the background we could hear the bustling noise of the hallway just outside the bathroom. I knew that I could push him away at any time. In fact I was sure of it because I had always been stronger than Yuri but right now I could do nothing but glare him down.

"Why do you always look at me that way Flynn? It's been so long since we even talked to each other and yet to me it seems like you're looking down on me after all this time. I had thought that by now you would have forgotten but you still seem to hold _that _against me to this day." Yuri started, leaning in closer to me still.

"I don't know what you're talking about Yuri. I don't have any sort of grudge against your nor have I ever. However I am not amused by your little prank right now. Move!" I responded chidingly, refusing to play along.

Yuri mumbled something that I didn't quite catch next, and dropped his arms down to his sides once again. I relaxed and motioned for the door behind me only to be abruptly stopped when Yuri grabbed the tie of my school uniform and yanked it roughly. I was immediately pulled forward and he pressed his lips against mine firmly without giving me time to even respond to the sudden action. He held his grip on my tie tightly, placing his other hand against the door to keep it shut. Bewildered, I couldn't even break away despite myself. Yuri was… kissing me.

* * *

**I decided to leave this at a little bit of a cliffhanger this time to see what effect that might add. Yuri always came off to me as a smart ass compared to the more serious Flynn and I think that this chapter gives that impression alot. I can't wait to get started on the next chapter now.**


	3. Hard Feelings

**A/N:** Well here's the long awaited (or maybe not) 3rd chapter. I procrastinated a little bit also. I was kind of nervous and excited at the same time when writing this. Sorry if Yuri came off a bit OOC but I wanted to try and capture how he would feel inside about certain things versus how he acts on them. I am starting to wonder how long I will make this.

**Summary:** Flynn Scifo, President of the student council and top student in his grade at Zaphias Academy never expected that he would associate with his childhood friend, the problem student Yuri Lowell after 3 year…. Or that they would be sharing a dorm together this year. How will things turn out from here on now that the Lone Wolf and Zaphias's Knight finally come to heads?

**Disclaimer:** I do not in any way own Tales of Vesperia or any of the characters in the game. If I did Fluri and Ristelle would most likely be canon.

* * *

**Flynn's P.O.V**

Yuri's hand loosened slightly on my tie, having backed me completely into the bathroom door now. I remained wide eyed as my childhood friend continued to kiss me in the boys' bathroom, unable to register beyond anything beyond that fact. His eyes were closed, long black eyelashes within my sight. The sensation of his lips on mine was admittedly warm. Somehow my heart was pounding. A few moments passed before Yuri's hand left my tie and made its way to my chest, pressing softly against me. Hesitantly, I eventually closed my own eyes and relaxed.

The bell rang abruptly, forcing me back to reality as well as Yuri. He immediately pulled away from me, a speechless look on his face as we both stared blankly at each other. Coming back to my senses, I clenched my fist and lowly growled his name. Pushing him out the way, I opened the bathroom door and ran out into the hallway, leaving Yuri standing there. I didn't even give myself time to think about what had just occurred only moments ago as I rushed for my History class. It was bad enough that I was going to be late now.

"Shit!" I cursed outwardly, unintentionally pressing the back of my hand against my mouth as I made a mad dash for class.

I couldn't hear Yuri's footsteps behind me, not surprised that he wouldn't care about being punctual to the History class that we just happened to share. I swiveled in front of the door to class and slid the door open with no delay. I was greeted with the wide eyed faces of my classmate and that Oltorain-sensei, who remained calm from his position at the front of the class. I became acutely aware of my shortness of breath from running to class. I stepped in cautiously and motioned to close the door behind me. I was stopped as another hand gripped the door and pushed their way in behind me. I turned my head ever so slightly to see that it was Yuri.

"Heh, well hello gentlemen and thank you for joining us for class. I must say that this is the earliest that you've ever popped your head in Lowell," Oltorain-sensei chuckled amiably, before waving his hand and allowing us to take our seats.

Yuri's desk was located at the back of the glass near the window while mine was in the second row near the front of the class. After sitting down I glanced back at him to see him staring aimlessly outside not even five seconds after entering the class. He was truly the most unmotivated person I knew. I sighed and looked away, not wanting to dwell on anything to do with my former childhood friend at the moment. At least, not after what had just occurred.

* * *

Not quite sure how I ended up in this predicament, I found myself staring a brown haired, fierce looking girl who only came up to my shoulder. I blinked absentmindedly, unsure of what to say. I and the rest of the student council had already gathered in the council room after classes had ended for the day. It was supposed to be a routine mini meeting, since the regular one had been held yesterday. I did not expect for us to end up with a small guest at our door. Of course this was the girl whom Estellise had talked so fervently about yesterday.

She appeared to be a few inches shorter than either Estellise or Ioder and had short reddish brown hair that came down only as far as her cheeks. Her eyes were a deep forest green as well, eyes that felt oddly firm and scrutinizing to me as I resisted the urge to squirm under her gaze. Besides the standard uniform, she wore a brown leather satchel that had been strapped to her waist and that carried a noticeably large green book on the back of it. This strange girl also wore on top of her head a pair of silver rimmed goggles with lenses that were tinted a rosy shade of red. She certainly seemed like an… interesting character if nothing else.

She cleared her throat, unwilling to take her eyes off me as she briskly introduced herself, "The name's Rita Mordio. I hear that you're the big boss around here. I want in on the hierarchy you guys got going here."

The council room quickly became deafeningly quiet as each of the other members including myself looked back and forth between each other quizzically with the exception of Estellise who did not appear off put by the girl's request. It wasn't long however before Sodia's gaze remained in my direction as she prodded me to take action (most likely the action she wanted me to take to shoot the girl down as nicely as possible) and clear the silence which had enveloped the room. I, on the other hand, found myself at a loss for words. The only reply I could even think of uttering at the moment was one of sheer confusion.

Taking the words right out of my mouth, Ioder was the first to respond with a simple, "Errr….what?"

"How dare this little pipsqueak," Sodia said while gritting her teeth angrily, "talk to President Flynn in such a way? Who do you think you are?"

"I'm pretty sure I already said who I was lady. You must be kinda bad at hearing eh? I just want to be part of the student council with you guys. Estelle said that I'd be a shoe in," the younger girl answered matter of factly, making Sodia turn even more red in the face than she already was.

I cleared my throat, feeling the need to quickly diffuse the tension building and interrupted, "Well we very much appreciate your help but all the student council positions are filled at the moment. Next year though most of us will have graduated and then it should be no problem to join the student council."

"No," she replied curtly, placing her hands on her hips assertively, "It has to be this year, right now. I don't care if all the positions are filled. Another one can be made or alternatively certain strings could be pulled a position could _conveniently _become available for me. I could be the scientist. Scientists are always needed right?"

"Yes, scientists are very helpful indeed. I don't think a student council has ever had one of those either. Wouldn't it be a good idea to at least be willing to try having one this year?" Estellise piped up in defense of her little friend.

At this Ioder laughed nervously while Sodia facepalmed, making no attempt to hide her all too apparent annoyance with the situation at hand. I, myself was unsure of how to proceed with this. This girl was obviously a freshman and while I didn't like or dislike her personally, her joining the student council and further still, making up a position just to do so didn't seem feasible to me. Still as she walked over to stand beside Estellise I knew that I had to say something to her that would satisfy her, either good or bad. I wasn't even sure that the board would allow such a thing for that matter but it was worth a shot.

"Okay you can join the Student Council then. Your first week is more of a preliminary trial to see how you'll adjust. I'm sure we can find a way to list you as an extra member," I caved and told her, making her face light up enthusiastically as well as that of Estellise's.

"Are you sure about this President Flynn?" Ioder questioned while giving me a quizzical glance?

"It should be fine. If it's for the good of the student body and efficiency of the Student Council it's shouldn't cause any trouble," I assured more confidently than I was in actuality.

Sodia stepped forward without any hesitation and heatedly opposed in the next instant, "No the student council is not a flexible system that you can bend to your will. Rules and regulations are meant to be followed. We just can't invite random people in because they suddenly felt like joining. It's a ridiculous idea."

"But your boyfriend already said it was okay lady," Rita combatted with a grin on her face, pointing at me shamelessly, "Shouldn't you just be quiet and go along with his decisions like you usually do? Everyone knows you're his little puppy dog after all."

This time, it was my turn to turn beet red. Sodia sputtered comically, with Ioder laughing in the background while Rita smirked victoriously and Estellise's mouth formed a small "o". Sodia shook her head when she managed to regain her composure. This was not before she shot me an embarrassed stare. I returned it equally as flustered while our decidedly tyrannical new student council prospect gloated and bounced all over the room.

I knew now that not much would be discussed in this meeting…

* * *

**Yuri's P.O.V**

_With the door pressed hard against his back as I pressed into Flynn, my hands pressed against the wall on each side of him, while he glared at me with his classic look of superiority. I couldn't hold back a satisfied grin, reveling in my momentary dominance over him. It was one that slowly but not quite dissipated as we continued to stare into each other's eyes silently. Just beyond the door I could hear the sound of students littering the hallway. Flynn could most likely free himself from me, slug me, and run if he wanted too and yet as the seconds ticked by he stood there silently fuming as if berating himself for being trapped by me in the first place. In a way it was so like him. It was so like the self-righteous guy that I used to know, and even if it was sometimes sickening me… _

"_Why do you always look at me that way Flynn? It's been so long since we even talked to each other and yet to me it seems like you're looking down on me after all this time. I had thought that by now you would have forgotten but you still seem to hold that against me to this day." I baited, leaning in closer to him still._

"_I don't know what you're talking about Yuri. I don't have any sort of grudge against your nor have I ever. However I am not amused by your little prank right now. Move!" he spat back in denial, not amused in the slightest._

_I let my arms fall to my sides, feeling my own mood begin to turn dark as I whispered to myself, "You're a really bad liar Flynn."_

_The look on Flynn's face, however, told me that he hadn't quite caught what I just said next though. He seemed to visibly relax at the absence of my arms which had been obstructing him and attempted to head out the door without saying another word to me. I quickly reached out my hands to grip the tie of his uniform and yanked it roughly, pulling him forward just enough for our lips to meet. Because I hadn't given him enough time to react to the sudden and rough gesture, I felt him shudder ever so slightly against me in shock, unable to break himself away. Only increasing the strength with which I held his tie, I placed my free hand against the door to keep it shut. There against the bathroom door I found myself locking lips with the man I had once called my one and only friend._

_My hand loosened slightly on his tie at some point, having backed him completely into the bathroom door now. I closed my eyes while at the same time deepening the kiss, unable to see the expression of Flynn's face. The sensation of our joined lips was admittedly moist and warm. Despite his unwillingness and how rigid his lips were against mine, I could make out the excited beating of his heart. A few moments passed before my hand left Flynn's tie and trailed down instead to his chest, pressing softly against me. I felt him eventually relax into the kiss to my astonishment._

_The bell rang abruptly, forcing both of us back to reality however. Flynn pulled away from me, a disgusted grimace on his face as we both stared blankly at each other. In the next instant he was clenching his fist and growled my name as if he were a feral animal ready to pounce. He roughly pushed me and ran out into the hallway, leaving me standing there with my mouth agape. Thoughts raced through my mind as I realized what I had just done._

"Well I seem to have screwed that up quite nicely," I stated cynically, staring up into the cloudless sky from the view atop the roof.

Since entering Zaphias, the roof had become sort of my relaxation place for when I felt like skipping classes. So here I was lying on my back watching the clouds go by without a care in the world. That is, if it were really true that I didn't have a care in the world. It had become such a habit over the last three years that I could hardly remember my schedule for when I actually went to class besides old Raven's history class, the class that I shared with Flynn. My thoughts once again began to wander back to the incident this morning. I had never expected nor dreamed that Flynn would become my new roommate, the distance between us having already grown so far that he would not even give me a second glance if we passed each other in the hall. So when we did in fact get assigned to the same room and I was able to once again hold a conversation with him, of course I would feel a sense of joy. However, this too proved to be short lived as Flynn made no qualms about having as little to do with me as possible.

Flynn finding the knife was just one more reason for him to alienate himself from me in my eyes. The bastard had always had a strict sense of justice and he didn't let any crap get past his radar. I would laugh at the irony of it all when I remember that when we were kids he would always be the first to jump into a fight if he thought it was for a right cause. I would stand there amazed and inspired to do the same, believing that if I could earn Flynn's respect then our friendship would be worth that much more, that much deeper. In the end, that was probably the thing that led to our falling out, that led to him running away to Zaphias Academy.

I rolled over onto my side and sighed, using my left arm as a pillow and gazing around aimlessly, my eyes set on no one thing in particular. The breeze was a cool one and felt nice against my skin. I let my wander to the taste of Flynn's lips instead. They had tasted bitter and a little sweet; almost like our favorite candy we often shared when we were kids. I could not understand myself why we had ended up kissing, unsure whether It had been by pure mistake or an unintended whim on my part. Truth be told, I had never thought about kissing Flynn because it was weird, weird to imagine my best friend in that sort of romantic way. Rather, maybe the kiss could be chalked up to an outlet of my frustration with him ignoring me and if it was merely an outlet to my frustration then it could be easily disregarded by the both of us.

I scoffed at my thinking, asking no one in particular, "Flynn would disregard it anyway though wouldn't he? I know that guy well enough to understand his intolerances after all."

"Who's the intolerant one here again? I'm not the guy who forces himself on others in retaliation for their hurt feelings," a familiar voice rung out from behind my, causing me to sit up and turn around.

Low and behold, Flynn stood at the door way to the staircase, his arms crossed over his chest and a frown on his face. Azure blue eyes sent me a disapproving glance and he closed the door behind him before walking closer towards me. I scratched my head and put on my signature grin, when he stopped and sat down right beside me on the rooftop. His tie was half undone as was the coat of his uniform and I figured that if he was still he at this time then a student council meeting must have just recently been adjourned. I kept these thoughts to myself though, leaving Flynn to eventually break the silence.

"I want an explanation Yuri," Flynn said dryly, his gaze never breaking from my own, lips pursed and brows just slightly furrowed to show how serious he was trying to be.

"An explanation for what Flynn?" I returned equally serious, despite the playful tone in which I spoke the words. "I thought you knew me well enough to not ask such open ended questions. Then again I can't blame you since it's been forever since you came up on the roof and hung out with me and as I recall the last time you did it didn't end so well for either of us."

"Well it sure would have gone a hell of a lot better if we weren't yelling at and beating the shit out of each other the entire time. I didn't come here because I wanted to talk about what happened back then though. I'm talking about what happened with you carrying that pocket knife and with what you did in the bathroom Yuri."

At this I perked up, sitting up straighter and averting my gaze from Flynn's to turn my eyes toward the sky. The sun was beginning to set, bringing with it the makings of orange in the otherwise clear blue sky. It was in the moment that I realized that this was the same type of sky that I had looked up at on the day we thought of the roof in what seemed like an eternity ago. A bitter feeling settled in the back of my throat and I closed my eyes to mull over what would be the right thing to say in this type of situation without starting a fight. Silence reigned for a few moments as I collected my thoughts and finally came up with a decent reply to his question.

"It wasn't just recently that I had been carrying that knife Flynn. It's the exact same knife that I've had since we were kids. It's the same one that we fought over after I got it back from those bullies," I answered nonchalantly, knowing that I could care less what his reaction that hearing this would be.

"That's funny. I had a vague idea that it was the same knife. The knife that I told you not to try and get back," Flynn responded dryly.

"Because you were scared of them," I bit back harshly.

Flynn shook his head, "No because I was afraid that you would get hurt. I didn't want to lose you."

"Now that's what's really funny. You didn't want me to get hurt? You didn't want to lose me? Then you wouldn't have run off to this damn school and left me to rot in the orphanage. That hurt Flynn. That hurt." I seethed, barely able to contain my rising anger.

"And yet you followed me all the way here," Flynn shot back with an amount of coolness that rivaled my anger. "What does that tell you?"

A moment of silence passed before I returned, "It tells me where we both stood all along on our so called _friendship._"

Flynn's composed expression faltered for that one moment, as if unsure of how to rebuttal to what I had just said. In my eyes, however, it was the painfully obvious truth from our days as clueless brats and we both knew it. We both knew what the other had meant to us and it had not been the same thing that the other felt. Our bond had only truly being one of self-indulgence and reliance and when there was no longer any need for Flynn to rely on me I had been effortless thrown away like yesterday's garbage. I smiled bitterly for a moment despite myself, coming face to face with why things had probably progressed to this point without me ever realizing it until it was too late. I failed to realize we were drifting apart until neither of us could see each other beyond the horizon and now that established distance was insurmountable and irrevocable.

"That's not true," Flynn finally replied, and I resisted the urge to gape and jeer venomously at his audacity, "There was another reason that I left. It's a reason that I don't expect you to ever understand even if I were to vocalize it. Face it Yuri, you're not the kind of person one could sit down and talk to rationally. I learned this a long time ago."

"I would have been rational Flynn. I would have listened and I would have understood. Do you want to know I would have done those things? Because the person that would be seated across from me explaining to me how they felt or what I didn't know was _you,_" I protested solemnly, then rose from my position and started a slow walk towards the door to leave.

If Flynn had any qualms about me suddenly leaving the roof he never voiced them and only later did I realize that in the end we never did discuss what had occurred in the bathroom…

* * *

**Yes, yes I know this chapter is long overdue but I've been trying to recover from writer's block and lack of motivation. Again I apologize if there was some slight OOC for Yuri also but I wanted his inner thoughts and feelings to come off as somewhat embittered and resentful. The next chapter should be quite interesting though. As always, read and review and until next time.**


	4. Rising Vesperia

**A/N: **And so here's chapter 4 brought to you by yours truly. I feel a sense of pride for being able to write this in such quick succession to chapter 3 after not having worked on this fic for a while. This chapter starts off with a short time skip from the previous one which you will read about. I also decided to incorporate some off campus fun this time. Also in case anyone was confused, Flynn, Yuri, and Sodia are seniors in this while Estelle and Ioder are juniors and Rita is a sophomore. The Academy's high school level therefore is based on 4 year ones. This does mean that most characters have been slightly aged down to fit in with the grade they're in. Be on the lookout for characters from Tales of Vesperia that have yet to be introduced here, mainly the rest of Brave Vesperia. Without further ado though, on we go.

**Summary:** Flynn Scifo, President of the student council and top student in his grade at Zaphias Academy never expected that he would associate with his childhood friend, the problem student Yuri Lowell after 3 years…. Or that they would be sharing a dorm together this year. How will things turn out from here on now that the Lone Wolf and Zaphias's Knight finally come to heads?

**Disclaimer:** I do not in any way own Tales of Vesperia or any of the characters in the game. If I did Fluri and Ristelle would most likely be canon.

* * *

**Yuri's P.O.V**

It had now been nearly three weeks since Flynn had even spoken to me. Despite the fact that we were now roommates and saw the other on a daily basis, he preferred to treat me as if I were invisible, finding it much less taxing than to start up a conversation only for it to end up as an argument. Occasionally I would throw out a teasing remark or a friendly jab at the blonde haired teen only for it to be met with perpetual silence. After the two week mark even this began to dwindle to little more than a few harsh words whenever he passed me by, my irritation showing somewhat clearly now. At the same time, I had yet to retrieve my knife from him, and he seemed to guard it ever more fervently from me. One would think that he feared I would stab him with it as soon as I got my hands on it by the way he protected it as if his life depended on it. I suppose I could chalk that to up to Flynn's high sense of _justice._

Tonight, however, was the day that I decided that I had finally had enough. I needed some place to go that was far, _far_ away from him before it drove me mad. It was a Friday night and the only remedial classes were typically held on Saturdays at Zaphias. Campus police weren't so diligent after curfew which was set at 10 o'clock also. That being said it was the perfect opportunity to sneak out of the dorms and hit up a local club called Vesperia. Students were forbidden from leaving campus grounds out night and I'd known some students who were expelled after getting caught going to Vesperia late at night, not that I myself had ever been discovered. I hadn't actually gone in a while though so I deemed it the perfect opportunity to stop by and pay some acquaintances a visit again. It would take my mind off things while I was at it too. That's what I told myself at least as I swiftly crossed over the front lawn of Zaphias Academy and discreetly made my way to the locked gates.

Flynn had not been in the dorms tonight, and I later learned that he had made prior plans to sleep over at Ioder's room. I was nearly surprised he hadn't went to that woman who was always all over him's room instead until I remembered that the student council president was too much of a goody two shoes to dare spend the night with a woman on campus, even if it was obvious that said woman would not have minded. I could tell from one look that Flynn had her on a tight leash and the bastard didn't even know it. The way she looked at him was like a bitch in heat and I found it hilarious as hell. If Flynn wasn't such a cherry boy he would realize this too though based off of personal experience I'm not one to talk per se.

Climbing the twenty foot tall gate before me seemed like a cake walk when I approached it. I had grown used to scaling trees that were much larger than it when I was younger. I hooked my foot through one of the bars and rested the sole of my shoe on the chained lock before beginning to pull myself up effortlessly. After a few moments of navigating my body up the gate I rested at the top of it and faced the direction of the other side that would take me out of the campus. I could see the dim glow of the street lights not that far away as well as the swaying of the leafy greenery of the trees in the area and in its own way it was breathtaking. Not breathtaking like how people describe a sunset or a cliff overlooking a lit up city but in that the other side was like a devilish temptation. It felt like freedom.

Not wanting to waste more time than necessary, I slipped off the gate and landed on my feet. I took a moment to look back at the quiet, lifeless scene of Zaphias Academy at night before turning away from it and walking off into the adjacent street which was equally as lifeless. Vesperia was located about a mile away from the school and as I made my way down the silent streets I thought about the first time that I had ventured out to go to the club. I was just fifteen and a freshman back then, having done it on a dare from some classmates who no longer even went to the school. I had just transferred in and found out the hard way how when Flynn suddenly up and moved to attend school here he had planned to cut all ties with me in the process and I was confused and in denial back then. Now all that was left was the feeling of being betrayed and thrown away ironically. My face was an unwelcome sight to him and so to get his attention I started acting out. The first time I snuck out felt absolutely exhilarating and yet at the same time the gnawing urge for Flynn to be there, to be sneaking out with me had haunted me the entire time. When I finally reached Vesperia at that time they wouldn't even let me in. I laughed out loud as I remember and waved the people goodbye the first time. It wasn't until the next year that I was actually able to go into the club due to the growth spurt I had which made me appear older than my fifteen year old self who was still "wet behind the ears" as they said.

"_Why would you leave campus to go to some club Yuri? Do you realize that you could get expelled for stuff like this? It isn't something to brag about!" Flynn berated me angrily from behind a book he was currently reading as I thought about how this was his first time speaking to me since I started attending school here nearly three months ago._

_I had purposely tracked Flynn down to the school library and told him of last night's escapades in order to gauge his reaction if he had one at all. I found him hidden behind the bookcase in the unsolved mysteries section. Reading books about crimes and other forensic nonfiction was his hobby as of late from what I could see. When I walked up to him, I watched him raise his head for a minute to see who it was before lowering it back down to continue reading. I gulped and cleared my throat to get his attention. Nothing. Still, I moved closer to him and grinned from ear to ear, feeling proud of my latest accomplishment. It was then that I told him that I had left school grounds to check out the club called Vesperia that some guys told me about. Those were the words that he replied with when I finished._

"_Well it's not that I got caught so no worries. Besides I only planned to tell you and those guys. I have no intention of going around the school and run my mouth about it. That would be dumb," I corrected him playfully, enjoying the attention he was giving me for now._

"_And who says that they won't rat you out when they eventually get in trouble for what they've been doing? They'll drag you down with them without a second fault and then you'll be kicked out and sent back to the orphanage. I know you don't want that," Flynn pointed out off handedly, turning another page in his book, "and make no mistake that they will get busted eventually when what they've been doing comes to light. Don't go down in flames with them like an idiot Yuri."_

_At the mention of the orphanage where we grew up my grin faded immediately and I tensed up. Fortunately, Flynn failed to notice this and simply went on reading. I didn't want him to see my reaction or to find out what was causing my reaction. Not ever could he find out. No, I wouldn't and couldn't go back there no matter what. That's what I had promised myself when I left. In fact, the only place from me was beside Flynn. That's what I had to tell myself. If this were no longer true then I wouldn't know what to do with myself anymore. He was all I had after all._

The haunting memory plagued me as I made my way to the club, causing me to stop momentarily and entangle my fingers through my hair. That had been over three years ago and I wondered why I had just now remembered it. I chuckled upon realizing what a kid I used to be, expecting that I could cling to Flynn for the rest of my life even as he treated me like trash lying on the ground. It was embarrassing and sad in the end that I acted and felt like that for not just me but for him too most likely. I distinctly remember that at the orphanage I had been Flynn's whole world though and how his eyes used to gleam with admiration whenever he was with me. Maybe his clinginess had been transferred to me in the end. I started walking again, doing my best to banish these thoughts from my mind.

"_And yet you followed me all the way here," Flynn shot back with an amount of coolness that rivaled my anger. "What does that tell you?" _

Maybe Flynn had been right on the mark when he said that, alluding to the fact that he thought of me coming to Zaphias as a means to specifically stalk him. At the time, maybe it was in fact to stalk the honor bound boy who I had once called my best friend. No, Flynn was still my best friend even if our friendship was now one sided and unwanted by him. Somehow before we graduated and it became really too late I just had to make him see that we could still be friends and that he couldn't just run away from Yuri Lowell. I found myself smirking, satisfied by the lofty idea of Flynn begging to once again be worthy of being my best friend. Then he'd tell me how sorry he was for all those years of ignoring me, the apologies flowing from those thin, slightly tanned lips of his…

"Hey Yuri Lowell! You in there buddy? You look like a zombie passing by here this late at night you know?" a voice interrupted me from my thoughts and bringing me crashing back down to reality.

I swerved around sharply to meet the dark gaze of a certain voluptuous tanned woman who I knew quite well. Her indigo hair was braided neatly into one long bang she draped over her left shoulder and her bangs flowed freely to just above her eyes. Currently, she was in a rather skimpy white outfit that exposed her cleavage quite nicely with a skirt that hardly left anything to the imagination. I waved lazily at the older woman who cocked her head at me before pursing her lips and folding her arms at me. There was no longer any doubt that she would question me about the state she found me in. I cursed my bad luck mentally as she never gave up a topic easily.

"What brings you here on this nice night Yuri Lowell? Did you miraculously turn twenty-one and bring some identification proving it to show me today?" She joked cynically, causing me to wonder exactly if it really was a joke or not.

"Darn! Sadly no identification yet Judith but you can be sure that I'm working on it," I winked at the unsmiling woman, "I just thought I'd pass by though and pay the ever lovely hostess of Vesperia a visit. Isn't that what a gentleman would do as you say?"

"Hmm yes maybe but as I recall gentlemen don't typically come to a bar late at night when they're under aged and should be sleeping now do they? I believe you are in fact the farthest thing from a gentleman I have ever had the displeasure of laying my eyes on Yuri," she responded in a delighted, amicable tone though her words were anything but.

Judith was the hostess of Vesperia and I had known her for a while now. In truth, she was the only reason I was still let into the club, taking a shine to me after my handful of prior failed attempts to get in only to be turned away. Of course, she made it quite clear every time I saw her that she would prefer it if I was legal and not breaking any sorts of laws by coming here but we came to an agreement that we would both just live with some law breaking now and it would be all worth it later. I was rather confident that Judith wouldn't rat me out to the cops for being a minor at a club and she was confident I wouldn't disclose to the cops that she allowed a minor to hang out there either. Besides, it wasn't as if I came here to get drunk, knowing that inebriation would make it a lot more difficult to return to my dorm, much less hop back up the gate at all.

"Well to be honest I am glad that you decided to show your face today. I just recently hired a new bartender around your age. I have a feeling this one lied and said he was twenty-one so that I would give him the job, but I let you come as you like already so I allowed it even with my suspicions," Judith chuckled in high spirits and I wondered how she could run a club with such a nonchalant attitude toward hiring minors.

I whistled in interest though and input suavely, "So since you hired him does that mean that I could get a job here too? Sounds like a sweet deal if you were to give me a job too Judith."

"No, sorry but I only hire those who can _legally_ go to bars Yuri Lowell. Come back in three years and I'll think about it alright?" She smiled easily, instantly shooting down any hopes I may have had.

"Well it was always worth a shot. If you ever change your mind about that policy of yours you know where to find me," I added persistently, enjoying our current course of conversation and wishing that it remained as cordial as it was currently.

"Hmm I'll think about it," she stated sarcastically, leading me towards the front entrance of the club, "Now about that zombie like state of yours I just saw… care to explain?"

And here it comes. We stood an arm's length away from the front door from which loud music could be heard as she asked me this. I shifted uncomfortably, deliberating what lie I should tell her. Then again Judith was the kind of person that was usually extremely perceptive to prevarications. Her eyes watched me like a hawk and I averted my gaze for a moment before admitting that I had been thinking about Flynn again and about how we became roommates almost a month ago and how the situation and worsened if anything between us. I'd told Judith about Flynn (though I never mentioned his name) before and how we came from the same place. However, there was a reason that I disliked to tell her about things regarding him. She had a habit of twisting whatever I told her and…

"My, my the two of you truly do seem to be attracted to each other like the north and south ends of a magnet. Complete opposites and yet you two just can't leave each other alone. Ah how nice it is to be in the spring of your youth. I bet the two of you will…" Judith went on, the insinuating tone of her face threatening to make my skin crawl.

"No it's not like that. There's _nothing_ going on besides what I am telling you okay? You keep making it seem like there's some kind of perverse undertone to our relationship and it's creeping me out Judith," I hissed out, glaring daggers at the older woman before me.

"You say that but then why in the world did you force the poor boy into a kiss then? Do friends regularly do that to one another in your age group nowadays because when I went to school kissing was still romantic and valued you know," she said teasingly, and I rolled my eyes because she was only twenty-six and not some old crone like she was making herself out to be.

I regretted telling Judith about the kissing incident from three weeks ago now. I still didn't even know why I did It myself and letting her in on it would only cause her to hold it over my head as evidence to prove her bizarre theories. The last thing I wanted was to have her trying to explain to me that we couldn't be friends when that was the very thing I was trying to accomplish. Her advice to me last year had been to write Flynn a love letter for god's sake. Not only was that highly unhelpful but it made me worry that Judith was into "that" kind of thing.

I opened the doors to Vesperia, and upon doing so was met with a wave of loud music that nearly threatened to burst my eardrums. It was louder than usual oddly enough and I glanced over in Judith's direction and mumbled that her DJ was beginning to go death apparently. She laughed at this and replied with a skeptical "maybe so". Looking beyond the doors, the dance floor was brightly lit with an array of neon lights as the crowd danced wildly among them, both in pairs and individually. The air smelled of body heat and alcohol as always and I welcomed the familiar smell like an old friend. Judith patted me on the back before walking off and leaving me to my own devices, but not before telling me to stop by the bar and say hello to her new employee before I left. She wasn't the type of person to want to introduce me to someone nor had she ever done so before so it seemed oddly strange. Knowing this, I somewhat moodily decided to make that first on my priorities so I would not have to do so later when I was beginning to tire and wanted to head back to the dorms. Not doing what Judith said was not an option…ever.

I made my way to the bar, which was not surprisingly filled with people seated in stools. Of these people I could automatically point to the few who were passed out drunk and others who were soon to be so. What really caught my attention was the sliver of blonde hair I saw in the corner of my eyes. I turned my head toward the direction of the blonde hair, which belonged to the bartender that had his back turned to me. His blonde hair was cut short and spiked upward, much like Flynn's. He was wearing a white, long sleeved shirt and black jeans, with a black apron tied around his mid-section. His back could almost be considered broad, being a little more muscular than myself. I stepped closer so as to get a better look at him, not wanting to interrupt him from his current activities. He seemed to be preparing a cocktail for one of the patrons at the moment.

"What will be your order sir? I'll be with you in a moment," the bartender asked without warning, his commanding voice so familiar. So unmistakable that my eyes widened upon hearing it and my jaw dropped despite not knowing if he had directed the question to me or someone else, "Sorry if I startled you. I'm quite good at recognizing when someone is coming up behind me. You see I…"

The bartender turned around slowly to take in the sight of me, though as soon as our eyes met all words ceased. I found myself once again gazing into cerulean blue eyes which had by now widened in surprise and apparent horror upon the sight of me. The person that stood before me I knew quite well, yet never in a thousand years had I ever expected to meet him here, especially not now when he would not even talk to me. And yet somehow I stood face to face with my blonde haired, blue eyed roommate in a club owned by an older woman I'd met during my nightly escapade to Vesperia.

"Flynn? Is that really you?" I stammered out in disbelief, coming closer until the only thing separating us was the literal bar where drinks were served, "Tell me this is some kind of a sick joke and that I am not seeing you here right now."

He swallowed hard and appeared to debate whether or not he should say anything at all before finally answering, "No Yuri, it's not a sick joke. You're really standing here and seeing me because well… I work here right now."

I reflected over his words carefully, and more than the discovery that Flynn worked at Vesperia, more than the fact that he was most definitely also breaking some rules here that he had previously reprimanded me for all those years ago, and more than the fact that in a way the thought of us both being out of the dorms together finally came true I understand something else. What I understood was that Vesperia was no longer a place where I could be free from my thoughts about the blonde who stood just a few inches away from me and yet felt as though he were a lifetime away. I took a seat over in a stool that happened to be available, my face resting in the palms of my hands and sighed dejectedly. I pulled out a fifty dollar bill that I hadn't planned on spending today and laid it flat on the table.

"How about taking this money and making me as many screwdrivers as I can afford then Mr. Bartender since I'm a paying customer and all," I ordered nonchalantly, all excitement at being out now gone.

And as much as I knew he didn't want to, as much as he wanted to chastise me for drinking, he still served me.

* * *

**And so now Yuri has some delicious dirt on Flynn. Of course, Flynn is not happy about this at all. I wonder how things will turn out now that Yuri can gloat over this small victory. Next chapter is going to once again be in Flynn's point of view though I must admit I've had a lot of fun doing Yuri's side. You'll also get to find out what other things took place during those three weeks that Yuri wouldn't know about. As always read and review and until next time.**


	5. Falling Vesperia

**A/N: **Poor Yuri, he seems so emotionally exhausted while Flynn just seems exhausted with him. It hurts though to be the friend that's left behind. I know of this quite well. For those who have missed Flynn's calmer view then your long awaited wait is over. I'm not sure which P.O.V I prefer to do but if there are others that I could write from I'd be happy to hear some opinions. I prefer to write in first person rather than in third person simply because my writing style and tone seem to change in third person. On with chapter 5 though.

**Summary:** Flynn Scifo, President of the student council and top student in his grade at Zaphias Academy never expected that he would associate with his childhood friend, the problem student Yuri Lowell after 3 years…. Or that they would be sharing a dorm together this year. How will things turn out from here on now that the Lone Wolf and Zaphias's Knight finally come to heads?

**Disclaimer:** I do not in any way own Tales of Vesperia or any of the characters in the game. If I did Fluri and Ristelle would most likely be canon.

* * *

**Flynn's P.O.V**

"So mind telling me what an honor student like you is doing working at such an indecent place as Vesperia _Flynn-chan_?" Yuri questioned suspiciously after downing his second glass of vodka and orange juice in what seemed like one gulp.

I sighed in aggravation, already preparing his third drink as I answered nonchalantly, "The pay here was simply too good to pass up and since I'm already a senior I thought that it was about time I got serious in saving up enough money to live on my own by the time we graduate."

When I was finished, I slid the glass his way where he easily caught it and raised it to his lips, his sharp gaze refusing to back down. He hummed lowly, digesting my words as he gulped down the strong smelling liquor. I shifted nervously, wishing that somehow another customer would approach me and take my attention away from the raven haired teen even if only for a moment, but as I watched him finish off his now third screwdriver and motion for more, the prospect of that was becoming more and more unlikely. Out of the corner of my eye I could see my boss, Judith-san eyeing us curiously and grinning from ear to ear, no doubt a sign that she had intentionally directed him over towards the bar area. Her early words when she hired me then resounded, causing me to grumble miserably.

"_Well Flynn Scifo it appears that the position is yours. I should tell you now though before you officially start that while bars are usually not open to those below the age of twenty-one, there is one special individual, a dear friend of mine you could say, that sometimes drops by. I hate to ask this of you, but if you happen to meet him, please disregard his age and service him as any regular customer would be," she confessed as the short interview ended, holding a hand up to her cheek with her eyes closed as if lamenting the circumstances surrounding this friend of hers._

"_This may be out of place for me to say but…," I commented honestly, having mixed feelings about what she was explaining, "allowing a minor to partake of alcohol willingly in your establishment seems at the very least unprofessional Judith-san."_

_The older woman, the young owner of a club by the name of Vesperia in town not far from Zaphias Academy, shifted rather uncomfortably in her seat as I pointed this out, a businesslike smile still plastered on her face. She had fairly tanned skin and unusually dark blue hair which she kept styled neatly into a French braid. Her current attire left very little to the imagination also. Of all the possible employers I had met with, however, she was by far the most easygoing, having a friendly if not mysterious air to her. I had been unsure of whether or not to apply for the open bartending job here being that I felt uncomfortable with it since I was underage but she had happened to be outside and upon seeing me, dragged me in without my consent and sat me down for an interview for the position. Part of me felt guilty when I found myself forced to lie about my age as a result._

"_It may indeed be unprofessional but I have known this young man for a few years now and he is not a bad person just a bit rebellious per se. I understand the burden of the issues he has to bear everyday so I wanted him to be able to have a place to unwind a little," she cast her eyes elsewhere and spoke softly, obviously deeply concerned for the person whom she was referring to._

_I held back my displeasure when I saw the tender expression on her face and merely returned smiling, "Well it would be my pleasure to one day service this gentleman if I ever meet him then."_

Of course at that time I could not have possible known that she was referring to Yuri Lowell, someone who I knew all too well. My reaction would have been completely different if only I was informed of her friend's identity from the start, but it was far too late to complain now as he sat in front of me ordering one screwdriver after another and wolfing them down like a man dying of thirst. I began to wonder how many of them it would take for him to get thoroughly wasted. While I had busy reminiscing, the long haired male had reached his sixth screwdriver and was still going. Not even the adults here from what I had seen could keep a straight face after so many drinks in a row, especially not ones which contained gin, whiskey or vodka. Something told me then that one, Yuri had been drinking before and two, he had developed the ability to hold his liquor. The thought of my former childhood friend binge drinking somehow didn't agree with me nearly as well as it should have.

"How long have you been working here Flynn?" Yuri's bombardment of questions continued, his voice more sinuous than before though, "It has to have been just recently as I've never seen your face before and I come here plenty."

"I started working here just after we started sharing a dorm Yuri, though I don't see how it's any of your business when I started working," I retorted harshly, wiping down the table as he sipped lazily on his seventh glass.

"You're always like this. Closing me out of your life as if I'm just another stranger makes me sad Flynn-chan…," the teen said as he peered into his half empty glass distantly, "Reminds me of the day you moved away. I'm sure you still remember me stunned face when I walked in on you already packing up your belongings."

He seemed to snicker to himself at this, averting his eyes to the boisterous noises originating from the dance floor. I stared at him for a moment, his lonely expression so uncharacteristic of the boy I'd once been close with. He was different now, carrying a carefree mask that hid his real emotions which he had buried deep beneath the surface. It was then that I realized that I was not the only one who had changed with the years. Yuri no longer adhered to the sense of justice which he once had when we were children. This Yuri was a more roguish entity, doing whatever pleased him and not caring if it was wrong or right. How had he become like this? It was a question with no answer.

"Do ever wish that things had turned out differently? That we had stayed in that tiny little orphanage on the outskirts of the city and continued our game of make believe heroes?" I asked for an unknown reason, wanting to gauge just how he would respond to my question.

Yuri's eyes darted back to mind, and for just a moment I could see myself reflected in his coal black pupils. He exhaled slowly and drank the rest of his screwdriver. I motioned to repeat my question when he didn't reply but just as my lips parted to speak, he raised his hand and shook his head, indicating that he had heard me the first time. A fox like smirk then spread across his face as he continued to lock eyes with me. He swept a lock of his dark hair out of his face, twirling it on his finger leisurely as he did so. It felt like an eternity before he finally vocalized any type of response.

"To be completely honest, sometimes I do wish that I hadn't had to chase you to Zaphias Academy because you grew tired of me and decided to leave. Other times, I wish I had taken the knife that we raised all that money to buy together and stabbed you with it and twisted it in for good measure," Yuri softly stated, his words dripping with malice.

My eyes widened a fraction, but I didn't let my calm slip as I rebuffed, "I could never understand that about you. You're always so honest, even when it makes people turn and stare at you. You never go back on your word either so the fact that you thought about stabbing me makes me glad that I confiscated that knife."

At the mention of the knife that had been taken from him, a memento of our childhood, I could see his eyes cloud over with an unknown emotion, neither resentment nor rage. I had not failed to notice how in our dorms he would squirm ever so restlessly ever once in a while or proceed to search for the weapon whenever he thought I wasn't looking. It was something extremely dear to him, of this I was sure and the fact that I would not let him near it ate away at him in a way that he would never admit. It was as if Yuri was clinging to any remnants of the past that he could grasp and sometimes seeing him that way made me want to throw the offensive object away, even if I knew I could never bring myself to actually do it. In truth, some small part of me knew that if I threw it away, it would be the final straw in our relationship, past or present.

"Well you know me best Flynn-chan. Of course it was _me_ stabbed _you _in the back and ran away to some grand academy for spoiled rich kids. It was _me _who treated _your _existence like air for three years," he growled irritably before exhaling and continuing more calmly. "Ah, but well what do I know? I'm just some delinquent that only causes the student body and President Scifo trouble."

"Yuri…" I trailed off uneasily, unsure of how to respond to the other male's embittered words.

"Oh my! To see Yuri drinking must mean something big must have happened!" my boss's cheery voice interrupted the dismal mood as she crossed over the dance floor towards the bar, taking a seat besides the long haired teen in question and winking mischievously at me, "Therefore mind if I join in boys?"

Yuri regarded her dully as he began his eighth drink which I had the prior forethought to prepare for him. If Judith was concerned about his heavy drinking, she didn't voice it, instead merely giving her younger friend a thoughtful glance as he continued to drink. I fidgeted at the sight of the older woman, hoping that the contents of our conversation did not become privy to her. She, as far as I knew, had no knowledge that we knew each other and for the sake of evading unwanted prying, I preferred to keep it that way. Unfortunately, Yuri would not see it the same and I had a feeling sooner or later he would let slip a snarky remark that would alert her that the two of us were not on good terms.

"He sure can hold his liquor Judith-san. I suppose this is the friend you were referring to from before?" I addressed tensely, trying to direct the conversation to a friendlier course of discussion as fast as possible.

"You're quite the keen one Scifo. This is Yuri Lowell, Vesperia's youngest regular. He can be a bit standoffish at times and rough around the edges but I do hope you two are able to get along. You are after all the same age," she giggled girlishly and revealed, causing my eyes to widen at her perceptiveness.

"But isn't Yuri-san only eighteen years old? I remember telling you when I applied that I was already twenty-one. Surely we could not be…," I tried to lie, doing my best to conceal my nervousness.

She waved her hand to signal me to quiet down though, shaking her head and stating plainly, "Calm down Scifo. It's okay. I know you lied about your age to get the job already."

At this, Yuri separated from his drink to laugh in his usual mocking way of doing so. A bead of sweat ran down my brow when I realized that she had most likely known all along that I wasn't the age I claimed to be, half out for embarrassment for being caught in a lie and half out of sheer fear that she would hold it against me. The older woman only waved her hand dismissively though, signaling that there were no hard feelings and I sighed in relief. She then turned the long haired male, snatching his drink out of his hands and bringing it up to her lips to take a sip. Yuri whined irritably, reaching for it only to have her smack his hand away and wave her index finger while making a "tsk tsk" sound. His eyes narrowed at Judith-san, obviously wishing she would return his drink, but making no active attempt to steal it back from her.

"This is quite strong for your average screwdriver now. Have you been trying to test the limits of Yuri's sobriety while I wasn't looking Scifo? Of course not that I wouldn't turn a blind eye just for you two to have some much needed fun," she teased lewdly, implying that I was somehow making a pass at the other male.

"Of course not ma'am! I would never do such a thing to a valued customer, especially one that's a friend of the owner of this establishment," I waved both my hands in front of my head and rebuked quickly, looking between my grinning boss and the pouting Yuri, "I was only adhering to the tastes of Yuri-san. Isn't that right Yuri-san?"

"I can back him up. Flynn and I were just discussing a very important matter weren't we? I'm sure Judith would like to hear all about it now that she's here," Yuri insinuated bluntly, cradling his chin in the palm of his left hand as he stared into my eyes knowingly.

I glared at Yuri, my face twitching as he spoke before responding cheerfully, "Oh no I wouldn't want to bother her with such a trivial conversation like the one we were having. Instead, since my shift is ending soon why don't we go and talk more once I'm done working _Yuri-san."_

"Well if what you have to catch up on is so urgent then I suppose I will just have to release Scifo into your excellent care Yuri. Don't worry, I can take over the bar for the rest of your shift, but you'll owe me a favor in return," Judith commented, moving to stand up and walk around the bar.

The two of us, in that woman stared incredulously at the mature, tanned woman…

* * *

"She actually kicked us out… I wasn't expecting that in the least. Geez, that Judith's a piece of work," Yuri complained as we found ourselves walking back from Vesperia when Judith had hurriedly thrown us out into the street.

Only when we were outside of the bar now did I see the level of Yuri's intoxication. His speech was still the same, but as he wobbled unsteadily with every step, it was increasingly apparent that he was at the very least tipsy. I was walking a few paces behind the other teen, watching him wearily as he teetered along, something appearing as if he was about to fall over before quickly recovering. I'd never seen Yuri drunk before, though naturally one could assume that since he had been Vesperia for a while this was not the first time it had happened. If so, how had he managed to sneak back into school grounds and evade the detection of campus security? Was he really that skilled at breaking and entering? A chill ran down my spine as I remembered that quality about him from our days in the Lower Quarter growing up in the orphanage.

"As I recall, the only reason she threw me out was because you had to open your mouth and make it seem as if we had anything to talk about when we in fact do not," I stated dryly, leering at his back while making sure to keep my distance.

"We do have things to talk about as far as I'm concerned though," Yuri replied seriously, stopping in his tracks, "We weren't finished talking back there as I recall. I never got to hear you answer your own question after all. You also have yet to tell me the real reason why you left me to rot at the orphanage. _Do you ever wish that things turned out differently?"_

Though trailing a few feet behind him still, I stopped also, inhaling deeply as I gazed expressionless at the Yuri's thin, slender form. He stood there expectantly, waiting for my answer while holding his breath. I could tell this much and yet there was no reason to answer him nor would it change anything between us if I did. If I so chose, I could brush off his question entirely and ignore him for the rest of the walk home. As I parted my lips and opened my mouth to speak, however, an intense feeling of guilt ran through me, a feeling that told that somehow Yuri did in fact deserve a reply from me and that there was no ways around it, no avoiding it like I had been for all these years since the day we parted and I discarded our old life at the orphanage with Nylon. That was what I told myself anyway as I started to speak slowly but assertively.

"Unlike you Yuri, I don't ever wish that things had turned out differently. I never saw coming to Zaphias Academy as a way for me to run away from my problems our because I wanted to hurt you, but rather because it was the only way I knew I could come clean and make a name for myself instead of living out the rest of my days on the street being looked down upon by those better off than I was. I decided that I wanted to become someone who others could look up to and who could be the one to extend a helping hand to the less fortunate. I could never accomplish that unless I left the orphanage… unless I left Nylon and you," I said easily, the words flowing freely from my mouth.

Though I said this with not the least bit of regret, it didn't change the fact that at the mere mention of Nylon, the caretaker at the orphanage whom Yuri and I were so close and also Yuri himself stirred nostalgic feelings I presumed to have buried long ago. Memories of our time spent together with the kind older man who was our mentor flooded my thoughts, as well as all the smiles and laughs during our times there. Nylon had been like a father figure to us who had no parents or family to speak of and Yuri and I had been inseparable, with a bond like that of brothers. Unlike the raven haired boy though, Nylon was always understanding of my feelings and opinions despite sometimes differing with his own. He congratulated me when I was proud of myself, but also scolded me firmly when I had done anything wrong or misguided. Even when I had confronted Nylon about leaving the orphanage and going to Zaphias Academy, he only congratulated me with the same warm smile I had come to know and love. Knowing that things would quickly escalate into an argument if I revealed to Yuri my plans back then, he had been the one resolved to talk it out with the other boy himself rather than me doing it myself. Though I had lost contact with Nylon after that, I still regarded him fondly.

There was a pregnant pause, as if while we he stood there with his back turned to me Yuri was in the process of digesting what I had just said to him with an astounding amount of collectiveness. However, the first sounds from the other boy were not those of anger or retaliation at what I had confirmed, but of soft laughter. I watched his shoulders tremble weakly as the first strangled gasps of amusement escaped from him and gradually became more violent. His laughter increased until it could only be described as hysterical, with Yuri shaking miserably in the nighttime air, yet still turned away from me. Concerned and somewhat disturbed by his unusual reaction, I lessened the distance between us, reaching out to place a hand on the long haired teens shoulder. It was smacked away with an abrupt force just as quickly however. This was when Yuri turned to me, eyes dark and humorless despite his laughter, a smirk spread from ear to ear. What he told me next had no hint of amusement nor joy, but only a grim detachment from the words he uttered themselves.

He cleared his throat before announcing deadpan, "I guess it's a good thing for you then that Nylon is dead."

Instantly, the smirk disappeared from his features and so too did the laughing cease, to be replaced by an expressionless mask as he gazed sternly at me. Closing the distance between us further, Yuri approached me until our noses were nearly touching and I could feel the heat of his body coming off in waves. His raised left hand cupped my cheek gently as we continued to stare at each other in complete silence. Fingers glided shyly over my skin, sending electricity through his bony fingertips. His lips parted then to say something, but all his words were swallowed in an instant it seemed and he only closed his mouth again, eyes roaming elsewhere. My voice was suddenly hoarse and I could only hoarsely choke out his name, immediately gaining his attention again as his eyes snapped back to mine, round coal irises deep and contemplating. I, on the other hand, could not and would not process what had just been said, merely frozen in the moment and only understanding that Yuri was so close to me and yet so far away. This was simply our irreparable relationship.

"Nylon…he was sick and after you left it only got worse before eventually-" Yuri began to speak awkwardly, eyelids lowering as he recalled the circumstances behind Nylon's death and explained them to me before I forcibly silences him.

I found it too painful to hear and as Yuri spoke I found myself desperate to silence him. In the midst of his explanation I grabbed his other arms roughly, pulling him to me and covering his lips with my own, cutting off any words he had to say with this one action. It surprised him, and he pushed firmly on my chest to break the kiss with his free hand, the other one never falling from my cheek, but I overpowered him, keeping him flushed against me as I continued to kiss him feverishly, holding him in a pitiful embrace. His skin was hot to the touch compared to mine, and that's all I needed to think about as I began to nibble at his lower lip, begging for entrance. No longer struggling, he obliged opening his mouth to let my needy tongue slip into his mouth. Yuri's right arm reached up and entangled itself in my hair as he leaned into my, deepening the kiss more and moaning into my mouth, as if fully enjoying the moment. It was I, in the end, who ended up breaking the kiss and stopping to stare at him in disbelief and slight awe and what I had just done.

"Yuri, I…" I started, my face heating up in the realization that I had just kissed my former best friend in the middle of the street just to avoid hearing what he had to say and feeling guilt wash over me as a result, "We need to stop."

"Just shut up and kiss me Flynn," Yuri expectantly replied, scoffing at my words and forcefully pulling my lips back down to his for another kiss.

* * *

Making sure to glance down the halls in both directions cautiously, I unlocked the door to the dorm room Yuri and I shared in the darkness of the hallways, softly opening it up to have Yuri quickly slip by me and proceed in first, his shoulder roughly brushing past my chest as he did so. I followed him with a bit of reluctance, flipping on the light switch near the door to brighten the room after I had closed the door behind me. I saw Yuri, already in the middle of the room, shielded his eyes from the harsh light and groan in disorientation, the alcohol beginning to affect him even more strongly than before as he teetered around in mild inebriation. I stood patiently leaning against the door, taking in the sight of my roommate. Upon noticing that I was staring at him, Yuri sighed and scratched the back of his head in a gesture of uneasiness. The two of us had snuck back into the campus and into our shared dorm without speaking another word to each other, the events of what had transpired earlier still weighing heavily on both of our minds. Yuri knew why I had kissed him, and despite that had kissed me back anyway, and for that I was now truly confused. Already he had kissed me that one time in the bathroom and never gave a reason for it, but including this time which in all honesty had been my fault, there was a tension between us that was innately different from the usual kind.

I stepped away from the door and went to sit at the foot of my bed, and took off my shoes. Even after my shoes had been discarded, I continued to stare aimlessly at the tan carpeting of the floor, unable to raise my eyes up. During the silence we had shared on the way back, the issue regarding Yuri telling me of Nylon's death had finally hit me. Nylon, the man who had raised us was dead now. I didn't know the little details nor did I want to, instead I was only filled with the crushing sense of dread that the man I respected completely had died while I turned a blind eye to everything I left behind, including him. Yuri, in contrast, seemed unperturbed by the death of our caretaker, mentioning it offhandedly at first more as I way to rebuff me than out of actual concern that I might need to know. It was also apparent to me that by the way Yuri spoke of it, it had not happened just recently, but in between the span of time when I had left and when Yuri had followed me to Zaphias Academy. In that case, why had he not bothered to tell me until now? At that moment, even the anger I should have felt towards Yuri, towards myself, and even towards Nylon for dying was nowhere to be found.

"Does it hurt Flynn?" Yuri's voice suddenly broke the silence of the room, disrupting me from my thoughts, "Does it hurt that Nylon died and I didn't tell you until now? Does it hurt that he died without you even being affected by it while you went off to chase your dream?"

"Yuri if you're saying all of this to irritate me I really don't want to hear it right now. Just go to sleep and leave me alone. I can't say I'm in the mood at the moment to deal with your crap right now, especially not right now," I returned callously, aggravation beginning to set in at his perceived mocking of the situation.

He didn't reply, but I could soon hear his loud, unsteady footsteps drawing near, and as I raised my head up to see what position he had changed to he was standing right before me, staring down at me with emotionless eyes and a ghosting grin that I could just barely see. He remained deathly quiet as his arms reached out to encircle me, wrapping around the top of my head and pulling it to his chest. The single action was so sincere that it reminded me of when we were little and Yuri would comfort me if I cried. Just like that, tears began to spill forth and I found myself wrapping my own arms around Yuri's waist and pulling him close to me as I sobbed uncontrollably into his shirt, rapidly moistening the fabric. All the while he stood there holding me, not saying another word as his shirt soaked up his tears, much like how it had been in the past. I trembled miserably and he soothed every time, despite his own feelings.

"Even if you forget about me someday and go far away Flynn, I love you," Yuri soothed me while slightly slurring, his words a mere whisper to me as I continued to weep pathetically.

* * *

And yet another chapter ends on a very interesting note. Perhaps the nature of their hard feelings towards each other is slowly starting to change for the better, or worse for that matter. Sadly, Yuri wasn't too drunk that it affected him mentally but there's always a next time and this is only the beginning of Judith's interaction with the two of them. Until next time!


End file.
